Drunken driving arrests on New Year's dropped

The number of drunken drivers arrested in the state over the New Year's holiday declined once again this year.

Law enforcement agencies from across the state arrested 174 drivers for DWIs between Wednesday and early Thursday, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Last year's holiday celebrations led to 191 drunken driving arrests.

Spokeswoman Lt. Tiffani Nielson said DWI arrests over the holiday have been declining for most of a decade, partly because people are making better choices.

"They're utilizing the services that are provided, the free Metro Transit buses, the cab services, using a designated driver," Nielson said. "We appreciate these people, but we're still arresting people, and that means there's more work to be done."

The state Office of Traffic Safety reported that more than 25,000 drivers were arrested for DWIs in 2013, an average of about 70 arrests each day. The office estimates that 81 people died in car crashes involving an impaired driver in 2013.